Software Architect
Status: Full Time
Location: San Francisco Bay Area, CA / Moriarty, NM
Position Summary:Sceye is seeking an experienced Software Architect to define and evolve the software architecture powering our stratospheric High-Altitude Platform Station (HAPS) fleet. This role owns the technical vision across avionics, ground systems, mission operations, and data platforms, ensuring our software is scalable, reliable, and ready to support a rapidly growing fleet of stratospheric airships. You will work directly with engineering leadership and cross-functional teams to translate mission requirements into robust, long-lived architecture.
Job Purpose:- Define and maintain the overall software architecture across flight, ground, and mission systems.
- Set technical direction and coding standards for distributed teams working across avionics, backend, and data services.
- Evaluate and select technologies, frameworks, and infrastructure patterns to support scalability and reliability.
- Lead architecture reviews and design documentation for major new systems and features.
- Partner with Product, Systems Engineering, and Flight Operations to translate mission and safety requirements into software design.
- Design fault-tolerant, real-time systems suitable for command and control of remote, high-altitude vehicles.
- Guide API design, service boundaries, and data models across the software stack.
- Mentor senior and staff engineers on architectural best practices and long-term system health.
- Drive decisions on build-vs-buy, cloud infrastructure, and on-prem/edge computing tradeoffs.
- Identify technical debt and lead initiatives to modernize legacy systems without disrupting flight operations.
- Participate in incident reviews for mission-critical systems and drive architectural remediation.
- Ensure architecture decisions account for cybersecurity, data integrity, and regulatory considerations.
What We're Looking For:- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field; Master's degree preferred.
- 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, including 3+ years in an architect or senior technical leadership role.
- Proven track record designing large-scale, distributed, real-time, or safety-critical systems.
- Deep expertise in at least one modern backend language (e.g., Python, Go, C++, Java) and familiarity with several others.
- Strong understanding of cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, or GCP), containerization, and microservices architecture.
- Experience with real-time or near-real-time telemetry, command-and-control, or IoT-style systems.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain architecture tradeoffs to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to lead architecture across multiple teams and drive alignment among engineers and stakeholders.
Preferred:- Experience in aerospace, satellite, telecommunications, or other mission-critical industries.
- Familiarity with avionics software standards (e.g., DO-178C) or similar safety-critical software practices.
- Experience with event-driven architectures, message queues (Kafka, MQTT, RabbitMQ), and time-series databases.
- Background in systems supporting remote or autonomous vehicles (satellites, UAS, HAPS).
- Experience with Kubernetes and infrastructure-as-code tooling (Terraform, Pulumi).
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:- Strong systems-thinking skills with the ability to balance short-term delivery against long-term architectural health.
- Ability to influence without direct authority across multiple engineering teams.
- Comfortable operating in ambiguity within a fast-paced, mission-driven startup environment.
- Strong documentation habits and ability to produce clear architecture diagrams and decision records.
- Collaborative mindset with a passion for mentoring engineers at all levels.
Physical Requirements:- Primarily an office/remote-hybrid role with occasional visits to test and operations facilities.
- Occasional travel to Sceye's Moriarty, NM operations site required.
- Ability to walk through office, hangar, and production facilities during site visits.
What We Offer:At Sceye, we're building more than high-altitude platforms-we're building a workplace where people (and their pups) thrive. Here's what you'll enjoy:
- Chef-Prepared Lunches - Fresh, onsite meals to keep you fueled and focused.
- Snacks & Refreshments - Enjoy a variety of snacks and drinks available throughout the day.
- Wellness Perks - Access to a gym, pickleball court, and an outdoor dog kennel.
- Dog-Friendly Environment - Bring your four-legged friends to work and enjoy a pet-welcoming space.
- Comprehensive Health Coverage - Medical, dental, vision, and disability insurance, with over 82% of premiums covered-and 100% for everything else.
- 401(k) with Match - Company contributions that are yours from day one.
- High-Performance Culture - Join a collaborative, inclusive environment where your work helps shape the future of aerospace.
